Charles j



(No Model.)

0. J. KLEIN.

' ELECTRIC SWITCH.

No. 467,540. Patented Jan. 26', 189 2.

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WITNESSES: 3 I INVENTOH M i d WW m monmav UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. KLEIN, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,540, dated January26, 1892.

Application filed April 6, 1891. Serial No. 387,759. (No model.) I

To whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. KLEIN, of New York, in the county andState of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inElectric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

I will describe an electric switch embodying my improvement, and thenpoint out the novel features in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated my improvement in a formcommonly known as a snap-switch.

Figure 1 is a side view of a snap-switch embodying my improvement. Fig.2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of parts shown in Fig. 2in a different position. Fig. i is a central section taken at the planeof the dotted line or :0, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a switch ofmodified form. Fig. 6 isa View like Fig. 5; but it shows parts indifferent positions.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, A designates a base-piece,which, as here represented, is intended to be made of insulatingmaterial of some suitable kind an d constructed so that it may bereadily attached to any support. In the present instance it is providedwith screw-holes b for this purpose.

B B designate the contact-pieces of a switch, and O 0 similarcontact-pieces for another switch. They are made of metal, and, as hereshown, are intended to be resilient, although they might be made merelyflexible and actuated by springs in a manner known to be equivalent inthe art. The contactpieces are separately fastened to the basepiece A.As here shown, this is done by uniting them with plates 1) b c c andfastening these plates by screws to the base piece. Wires forming partof an electric circuit may be connected by screws or otherwise to theplates b'b c 0 It will be seen that the contact-pieces B B are in thesame plane, laterally, of a rotary part and that the contactpieces C Oare in another plane, laterally, of a rotarypart. The ends of thecontact-pieces B B overlap, and this is equally true of thecontact-pieces 0 C D designates a wheel or rotary part mounted upon thebase-piece A. It is intended to be made of insulating material. As hereshown, it is affixed to a metal shaft d, fitting in a bushing cl, thatis inserted in a hole formed through the center of the base-piece. Thereis a shoulder d on the shaft above the bushing, and a nut 61 is appliedto the shaft below the bushing. In this way the shaft is maintained inposition. The wheel or rotary part D has two eccentric arc-shapedsurfaces cl (1 Between their extremities are formed radial shoulders orsurfaces (Z By rotating the wheel D into one position the contactpiecesof the two pairs will be separated, and by rotating it into a differentposition the pairs of contact-pieces maybe allowed to impinge oneagainst another.

Fig. 2 represents the position into which the wheel is adjusted forseparating the contactpieces, and Fig. 3 the reverse position. The wheelmay be rotated by means of a handpiece 01 which, as here shown, isfastened to the upper end of the shaft by means of righthandscrew-threads formed in it and upon the shaft. This is an advantageousway of connecting the hand-piece, because it will prevent the shaftfrombeing moved in the wrong direction byturning the hand-piece. This isobviously true, because the hand-piece would unscrew, if turned to theleft, as soon as any obstacle to the turning of the wheel D should.arise.

It is of the essence of myimprovement that the contact-pieces of eachpair shall directly impinge upon each other and thereby be in directelectrical communication, instead of having electrical communicationestablished between and by a surface of conducting material upon a wheelor rotary part.

I have shown a cylindric shell E fitted to the base-piece andsurrounding the parts of the switch.

In Figs.5 and 6, H II designate one pair of metal contact-pieces, and II another pair.

Normally each pair of contact-pieces will spring together. Awheel orrotary part D is intended to be rotated in the same manner as the wheelor rotary part D, previously de scribed. It is so shaped that whenrotated into one position it will separate a contact-piece of each pairof the pairs of contact-pieces away from itsfellowandwhen rotatedintoadifferent position will allow the contact-pieces of each pair tocome together. These contact-pieces H H I I are mounted upon ablock ofinsulating material and are intended to be connected in circuit in thesame manner as the contact pieces comprised in the first-describedexample of my improvement. The wheel or rotary part D is in this exampleof my improvement provided with a handle S, which is loosely connectedwith it. As here shown, the loose connection is made by fitting theshank of the handle S loosely in a hole formed centrally in the wheel orrotary part D and extending a pin 8 transversely into cavities 5 .9formed on the top of the wheel or rotary part. Rotary motion can onlybeimparted by the handle to the wheel or rotary part through the pin 8coacting with the side walls of the cavities s s orwith the side wall ofone of such cavities. The edge of the loosely-connected handle allows ofthe wheel or rotary part moving quickly in advance of the movement ofthe handle whenever one of the projecting portions of the wheel orrotary part escapes one of the contact-pieces H or 1 -Obviously thispermits such contact-piece H or I to drop suddenly against its fellow.It is clear that whenever one of the projections of the wheel or rotarypart moves beyond one of the contact-pieces H or I it will move suddenlyaway from its fellow.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

In an electric switch,the combination, with a base, of the wheel havingthe eccentric arcshaped surfaces, and a pair of tangentialcontact-pieces arranged in the same plane opposite the arc-shapedsurfaces and one outside of the other and so disposed thatin therotation of the wheel one contact-piece will escape from an arc-shapedsurface of the wheel, leaving the other bearing on the arc-shapedsurface, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES J. KLEIN. Vitnesses:

S. 0. EDMONDS, W. M. ILIFF.

